Early Thoughts On Korach

Many theories have been offered as to The Thing which separates man from animals. Perhaps what makes us human is our ability to disagree. Animals may oppose what you want but it’s based on a pre-programmed instinct. Man is able to say, “I heard what you said, I realize you’re very bright and all…I’ve decided to go with a different approach” or,”Based on what I’ve been hearing and seeing I’m going to have to decline your advice...” The urge to say this is strong, so when there was no-one else to say it to, man/woman said this to G-d Himself.”

We’ve all heard the story as a kids’ story. “There’s one magic tree that’s going to make you like G-d if you eat from it.” So they eat from it. Why? Because the snake told them to. The Abarbanel makes a cogent argument for the idea that the snake never spoke. In this understanding, Chavah had an inkling of an urge, the urge to use her own judgement. She intellectualized G-d’s command - figured it made sense for health reasons. Then she saw the snake rubbing up against the tree – and he didn’t die, didn’t even get a rash. In her mind she dialogues with the snake; his actions are tantamount to his telling her that if he can touch it that shows that the tree is safe. So it must be OK to eat. Makes sense, except that G-d said not to do it.

The power of eating from the tree, that G-d warned against clearly, was not any power of the tree itself, but the power of disobedience. Once you disobey G-d based on your own opinion, then you start to think that you’re like G-d and that you can choose freely based on what you think. In the end Adam and Chava had to be reminded that mankind is unique in that we are given commands by G-d. The snake wasn’t punished, Adam and Chava were. And as part of what they needed, the snake was made to be more clearly different than man. (Note that in the list of what changes for the snake there is no mention of his not being able to speak in the future – a strong indication that he never spoke at all).

Why am I thinking of this now? Well, since I learned this approach from from Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky, I think about it a lot. This comes up all the time, that in subtle and not so subtle ways we ( I ) choose my own judgement and suggest that I know better than
G-d. Rabbi Twersky often applies this concept to later chapters in the Torah.

Breishit is not only the Torah’s beginning, but the Torah’s foundation. The Ramban suggests that the theme of Breishit is responsibility, thus there are quite a few stories of getting a place in this world and then losing that place as a result of having disobeyed
G-d. In slightly different terminology Rabbi Twersky is suggests the same theme which teaches us that if we know what’s good for us (literally) then we’ll listen to G-d. And that we must resist the temptation of our basic instincts that tell us that we know better.

When Korach and company challenge Moshe, Moshe replies that the proof that these men have rebelled against G-d will be that the earth will open its mouth and swallow them. The Medrash Lekach Tov cmments on these words that the earth will open it’s mouth “in the same way that it opened its mouth in the days of Kayin and Hevel.” The fact is that these are the only to contexts in the Torah in which the phrase “patzta et piha” is used in regard to the “adama.”
Both Kayin and Korach challenge the spiritual leadership role of another. In both stories what starts with jealousy leads to anger and death. Also, in both cases (as is often the case throughout Tanach) there is a tension between the one chosen as the bechor, the one with seniority, and the one chosen by G-d.

(TO BE CONTINUED – PLEASE G-D)